The invention relates to a porous thermoelectric material (5; 5a, 5b): having, at 20° C. and at atmospheric pressure, a thermal conductivity of less than 100 mW/(m.Math.K) and an electrical conductivity of between 20 S/m and 10.sup.5 S/m, and comprising a matrix of a thermal insulating material which has a porosity of more than 70%, and which may be filled at least locally with an electrically conductive material (5b), the content of the electrically conductive material being comprised between 0% and 90% by weight of the total weight of the thermal insulating material.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric leg comprises: a thermoelectric material layer comprising Bi and Te; a first metal layer and a second metal layer respectively arranged the thermoelectric material layer; a first adhesive layer arranged between the thermoelectric material layer and the first metal layer and comprising the Te, and a second adhesive layer arranged between the thermoelectric material layer and the second metal layer and comprising the Te; and a first plating layer arranged between the first metal layer and the first adhesive layer, and a second plating layer arranged between the second metal layer and the second adhesive layer, wherein the thermoelectric material layer is arranged between the first metal layer and the second metal layer, the amount of the Te is higher than the amount of the Bi in the thermoelectric material layer.

The present disclosure relates to novel two-dimensional halide perovskite materials, and the method of making and using the two-dimensional halide perovskite materials.

A magnesium-based thermoelectric conversion material made of a sintered compact of a magnesium compound, in which, in a cross section of the sintered compact, a Si-rich metallic phase having a higher Si concentration than in magnesium compound grains is unevenly distributed in a crystal grain boundary between the magnesium compound grains, an area ratio of the Si-rich metallic phase is in a range of 2.5% or more and 10% or less, and a number density of the Si-rich metallic phase having an area of 1 μm.sup.2 or more is in a range of 1,800/mm.sup.2 or more and 14,000/mm.sup.2 or less.

A thermoelectric conversion material is constituted of a semiconductor that contains a constituent element and an additive element having a difference of 1 in the number of electrons in an outermost shell from the constituent element, the additive element having a concentration of not less than 0.01 at % and not more than 30 at %. The semiconductor has a microstructure including an amorphous phase and a granular crystal phase dispersed in the amorphous phase. The amorphous phase includes a first region in which the concentration of the additive element is a first concentration, and a second region in which the concentration of the additive element is a second concentration lower than the first concentration. The first concentration and the second concentration have a difference of not less than 15 at % and not more than 25 at % therebetween.

A semiconductor sintered body comprising a polycrystalline body, wherein the polycrystalline body comprises magnesium silicide or an alloy containing magnesium silicide, and the average grain size of the crystal grains constituting the polycrystalline body is 1 μm or less, and the electrical conductivity is 10,000 S/m or higher.

Woven flexible thermoelectric fabrics are provided. The fabric is a woven material that includes a series of longitudinal threads interwoven with a series of transverse threads. Within the longitudinal series, the threads have a repeating thread pattern of an n-type thermoelectric thread, a p-type thermoelectric thread, and an insulating thread. Within the transverse series, the threads have a repeating thread pattern of a first double-sided thread with conducting side down and insulating side up, a second double-sided thread with conducting side down and insulating side up, and a third double-sided thread with conducting side up and insulating side down.

Disclosed are a bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric nanocomposite with dispersed nano-sized silicon carbide based on the recycling of bismuth telluride processing scraps, wherein the method comprises: (1) Under a protective atmosphere, mixing bismuth telluride processing scraps and nano-sized silicon carbide, and then performing ball milling; (2) Subjecting the ball-milled powders to spark plasma sintering to obtain a bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric nanocomposite with dispersed nano-sized silicon carbide. The method can significantly improve the utilization rate of bismuth telluride processing scraps and avoid the waste of precious materials. Moreover, the process has the characteristics of simple and easy operation, and low energy consumption. The obtained bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric nanocomposite with dispersed nano-sized silicon carbide has high thermoelectric performance, which can be widely used in the fields of thermoelectric power generation and refrigeration.

A thermoelectric cooler including a thermoelectric junction and a radiation source. The thermoelectric cooler includes n-type material, p-type material, and an electrical power source. The radiation source emits ionizing radiation that increases electrical conductivity of the n and p type materials. Also detailed is a method of using radiation to reach high coefficient of performance (COP) values with a thermoelectric cooler that includes providing a thermoelectric cooler and a radiation source, with the thermoelectric cooler including an n-type material, p-type material, an electrical power source, and emitting ionizing radiation with the radiation source to increase the electrical conductivity which strips electrons from the n-type material, the p-type material, or both the n-type material and p-type material from their nuclei with the electrons then free to move within the material.

A plate-shaped thermoelectric conversion material having a first main surface and a second main surface on the opposite side of the first main surface is formed of semiconductor grains that are in contact with one another. The semiconductor grains each include a particle composed of a semiconductor containing an amorphous phase, and an oxidized layer covering the particle. The distance between the first main surface and the second main surface exceeds 0.5 mm.